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You're making strides. Congrats on breaking the record again! Damn I so badly want to sponsor you.

I blame the power and the new tires for that. The track was weirdly slippery and didn't have the confident feel it normally does. Others were feeling the same way so I know it wasn't the car. Both myself and the buddy I was racing all weekend feel like the track has 1:40s (and possibly 1:39s) in it for both our cars on a good weekend with ideal conditions and setups.

I'd still like to go as far as I can on the current setup before making any more major changes, but I'll let you know when that time comes.

QUOTE (xiao @ Today, 5:58 AM)

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Nice lap, looked hella fun man！❤

I just use what looks good! Didn't even realize it until you mentioned it.

Last weekend was MAPerformance Proving Grounds at Brainerd International Raceway. I volunteered to work the event with Central Wisconsin Sports Car Club, and did some messing with the setup for the track time I did get, and did still compete in the the Triple Track Showdown.I started out drag racing on Saturday afternoon. Not my favorite activity but I certainly won't label it as boring like some do. I dropped tire pressures and lowered front rebound to help get the car to hook off the line, which appeared to work. Cut a low 1.8 60', my best yet in the car, and turned a 12.7 at 105 that pass.

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The autox that evening was mostly dry to chase cones in, but by the time it came for me to run, it had poured. Noting a lack of low speed cornering compliance from the suspension, I set the rebound down to the recommended street setting to allow more roll onto the outside tires. While I'm sure it would have helped plenty in the dry, it was a godsend in the wet. While I took it somewhat easy, even as the surface began to dry along the racing line, the car felt very composed and predictable, which I used to my advantage where possible. Despite being the first time I've autox'd on this suspension, the car felt at home with the way things were set.

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Lastly, on Sunday, it came time for the usual benchmarking on the road course. I set the suspension to the usual settings and took a couple laps to warm up in the morning. The car seemed in order and just flat-out felt great so I decided to leave everything as-is going into the timed runs in the afternoon. I warmed up the tires on my first run, and went for it on the second, which immediately landed me in my goal range with a 1:41.39. I knew there was more in it from there, and went for it again on the second run, but was foiled by the heat in the tires, but ran a weirdly dead consistent 1:41.39. When my 4th run came after the break, I knew I had to make it count. The tires had a little heat in them still so I knew I could push right from the start, and I did. As corner after corner clicked into place I knew I had the lap together as I crossed the line, and there it was on the board; 1:40.96. Not as fast as I could have gone, but damn close.

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Took first in Super Street in the Triple Track Showdown and learn a lot about the car in the process. Overall, a very successful weekend.

Right now the car is trapped in the garage for a new radiator to hope fully fix the cooling issues from Gingerman (which did not return at BIR) but after that it's all ready for Autobahn in Chicago this coming weekend, and then a nice long mid-season break that can't come fast enough.

So I noticed I've been slacking in here and figured I'd bring this thread up to speed.

Jumping way back to July, Gridlife Track Battle Round 3 at Autobahn Country Club. I went in with a new Koyorad radiator hoping to kill the overheating completely, and it certainly helped, but the sweltering July heat still continued to take its toll on the setup. Running the heater at full blast in the car is now a requirement on track. Overall the event went well, but with little time to learn each of the 3 track configurations at the facility, I was fighting a losing battle against my rival in the STi, with ABCC being his home track. There's a lot I can do behind the wheel as a driver, but with a car that refused to rotate in the multitude of tight corners and a rival with more seat time than I at the facility, driver mod alone isn't, and wasn't, enough. I took home 2nd at the event, but held onto 1st in season points. After some news of my proclamation that I was going to beat my rival in Atlanta reached him, he promptly proposed we put a wager on it; a signed dollar bet. The loser in Atlanta would have to sign a dollar and give it to the winner. I did not produce video and have no photos from this event.

Fast forward to Atlanta, and the car was untouched other than some adjustments to the alignment to fix prior discrepancies and increase aggression. I had intended to make some further modifications but budget on those fell through with my purchase of a tow vehicle; a 2007 Touareg TDI, equipped with a V10 twin turbo diesel and all the comfort I could need to ensure easy transits to and from events.

I showed up to Road Atlanta ready to go. Well rested, videos reviewed, virtual practice complete, I wasn't about to lose a dollar... Or the season points chase. The battle, both for points, for the track record, and for that dollar, was on from the start. Friday morning in practice, chasing my rival, we both ticked off some 1:41s, with him slightly ahead in the standings. By Friday evening, we were burried in the mid 1:40s, with me in the lead by just 2 tenths.

Saturday morning came, and with it, lower temps and more speed. I shaved more time off on my first hot lap, with predictive timing showing a possible low 1:39, when the yellow flag dropped in turn 11. Hoping it was a minor caution, I decided to continue pushing, but as I crested turn 11 I had to resolve to release the throttle... A car had lost it at the exit of 10b and hit the wall under the bridge, blocking the pit entrance and littering the track with debris. They called the session off entirely for cleanup, and my first chance at a record lap was gone, as temperatures would rise throughout the day. My second session, however, saw another car in the wall on the first hot lap, this time in turn 1/2. Cleanup was minimal, and after sitting in hot pit for the duration of the cleanup, they sent us out with a simple message; we're giving you guys one more lap this session, make it count... And I did. Despite the heat, despite the heatsoak the radiators, the brakes, the tires, and everything else had been through in the pit, I rattle off a 1:39.8, fast enough to keep the lead on my rival, again by 2 tenths. That afternoon, I would content with traffic and go no faster. However, my rival did not have the luck of dealing with just traffic. Coming up the back straight, he grabbed 5th gear, and that shift became permanent. The shift fork let go, jamming the transmission. His weekend was over.

Reluctantly, I accepted my dollar, but I still had one more order of business on Sunday morning; setting a proper class track record. It was the coolest morning of the weekend, the sun was partially obscured by haze to keep the track temps down, everything was in line. And I sent it. I missed my turn in into the esses but pushed through it, and set a blisteringly fast time regardless; 1:39.0. I'm upset that I missed the 38s with my mistake, but that's still an incredibly respectable time for a car at this prep level.

So what's next from here? I ran at BIR at the beginning of September and will update here on that soon. As for Gridlife Track Battle? Only one event remains, back at Gingerman next weekend. I have all but clinched 1st place in season points, but there's still another bet to be one; a shoey. And I have no intention of drinking from my rival's shoe, so we'll give it our all one last time this year.

I know I’m over a week late to the party at this point, but Gridlife Round 5 was amazing, an absolutely fantastic way to end the season.

Saturday started with some rain, but the skies cleared before the track went hot. Eager for some wet track time, I went out early in the time attack qualifying, and set a decent time, which turned into a mid-pack lap by the end of qualifying with the track drying. In the 2nd session, my brakes began to give out, forcing a brake bleed before the third and final session of the day. With fresh brake fluid and fresh confidence in the car, I ran 1 tenth off the track record I set earlier this year in June.

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Sunday came, and with it my rival, Dewey. He had been fighting mechanical issues all weekend at home, but was finally able to get the car to the track and instantly set out on the warpath. I raised my tire pressures for the first session to account for the cool temperatures and dew-soaked track, and I snuck around the track record by 6 tenths to put myself in control of the fight to start the day. Dewey, however, wasn’t going to let me run away with the show, and simply warming up to the track for the first time that weekend cut down the previous track record by a couple hundredths. The next session came midday, and the temperatures were still low, but the track was now warm… And I made a fatal mistake. I forgot to lower my tire pressures back down after the morning session, and the car was simply unruly. Despite being tail happy in the worst possible way, I still managed to clock a lap 1 tenth slower than the track record I set earlier in the day, a testament to how fast the track really was. Unfortunately, Dewey was running in good form, and took a lead by 4 tenths of a second. The final session was in the heat of the day, and I knew I’d need a hell of a drive to even think about closing the gap. I notably dropped tire pressures to ensure I’d have grip and set out for one last shot at the top spot. Despite Dewey trying his best to further widen the gap, the track was too hot, and too slick, and he ran a second slower… But I didn’t. In my push, against all odds in the conditions, I shaved another 2 tenths off my time, leaving a gap of 2 remaining. So close, but still short.

So, I got stuck doing a shoey out of Dewey’s shoe on the podium, per our bet. However, I managed to hold onto my lead in season points, taking first overall for the year in my class. From a tough fight for 2nd at Mid Ohio, a win at Gingerman, to a decisive loss at Autobahn to Dewey’s home track advantage, a solid A-game win at Road Atlanta, and this hard fought loss in our return to Gingerman, this season had its ups and downs, but never stopped being everything that makes both Gridlife and time attack incredible.

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The Gridlife crew are the real MVPs this season though. This in only my second year with this series, and my only regret is not jumping on the train sooner. There’s nothing I’ve experienced in grassroots racing like these events and this family. This series has grown so much in those two years and I can’t wait to see how it grows and evolves as I dive headlong into 2018.

And to top it all off, PowerStop is sending all of us class points champions to the The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving late this winter… It’s an experience I never thought I’d see, and one I’ll definitely both cherish and use to the best of my ability as I continue down this crazy path.

And of course, none of this would be possible without all the support I've received over the past few years. RS Motors, Stance Suspension, Quicktrick Alignment Tools, and the 365Racing crew for the training they've provided me as a driver to get this far.

Now the big question… Next year. Well, it’s probably pretty obvious that I’m staying in HPDE+, whatever they decide to call it next year. The car is a fantastic framework of what can be done to make an Evo competitive in this class, but there’s plenty more that can be done to round out the performance and really make the car fly, and the list for the off season contains most of those items. What specifically, well, you’ll need to wait and see.

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I should keep this updated more... I'm being warned that I might have to give myself a warning for bumping this.

So, I leave on Sunday for Bondurant with the other points champions, and it's shaping up to look like it'll be a fantastic time. I'll report back after on how it went.

But for now, I'm adding a new partner to the program; Joey Nova's Tonka Bay. Yes, it's a pizza joint. Why? The only response I can really give is “Why not?”, as they’ve been supportive of not only me, but of the local automotive community as whole. The owner, Gary, and I have known each other for a few years now, and we instantly clicked when we met, as two people who have tons of passion for what we each do. We’ve both supported each other in our own ways over the years, but we decided to take that support to a new level moving forward. I wish you guys could give this place a try, and if any of you ever end up in town, I'll gladly introduce you to quite possibly the best pizza the Twin Cities has to offer.

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